**By Colm Shalvey **

The Christy Ring, Nicky Rackard and Lory Meagher Cups get underway on Saturday, with full rounds in all three championships.

CHRISTY RING CUP

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The Christy Ring Cup gets underway with a 1pm throw-in between Antrim and Kildare at Parnell Park.

2006 winners Antrim return to the second tier after losing last year’s promotion/relegation play-off against Kerry. The Ulster champions were left in turmoil at the start of this month when PJ O’Mullan stepped down after just a few months in charge, in the wake of a disappointing Allianz Hurling League campaign that saw them finish in mid-table in Division 2A.

A four-man management team of Terence McNaughton, Dominic McKinley, Neal Peden, and Gary O’Kane has taken over the Antrim team for this competition. Kildare won this title in 2014, stunning Kerry in the final, but they were hammered by the Munster men in last year’s semi-finals and their only win of this year’s league was against relegated Derry, while they suffered a high-scoring defeat against Antrim.

Antrim are without Liam Watson after the star forward withdrew from the panel. Ciarán Clarke, Conor Johnston, Kevin McKernan, and Eddie McCloskey led their league challenge, while six Cushendall players have joined the panel, including Neil McManus, who has made himself available for the opening rounds before he goes travelling next month. Martin Fitzgerald, Gerry Keegan, Paul Divilly and Mark Delaney are key players for Kildare.

London travel to Ballycran for a repeat of last year’s quarter-final against Down.

Down won that last-eight clash before losing to Derry the next day out, but they will have a battle on their hands against an improving London side. Down, who succeeded London as Christy Ring champions in 2013, reached the Allianz Hurling League Division 2B Final this spring, but a defeat to neighbours Armagh dented their confidence. London picked up seven points in Division 2A, finishing just a point outside the top two.

Danny Toner, Conor Woods, Dónal Hughes, and Scott Nicholson are central to Down’s chances, with Kevin O’Loughlin, Kevin Reid, Shane O’Donnell, and Martin Duggan among the main men for the Exiles.

Roscommon make the step up to the second tier when they welcome last year’s runners-up Derry to Athleague.

Roscommon won the Nicky Rackard Cup last year and went on to win a play-off against Connacht rivals Mayo to move up a grade. Derry also played at Croke Park last June after going all the way to the Christy Ring Final, but Kerry were too strong for the Ulster side. Having finished in mid-table in the 2015 Allianz Hurling League Division 2A, Derry failed to earn a point this year, which saw them relegated, and they will meet Roscommon next spring after the latter won the Division 3A title and went on to edge out Donegal in their promotion play-off.

Ruairí Convery, Alan Grant, and Oisín McCloskey are key men for Derry, who have been hit by the retirements of Liam Óg and Kevin Hinphey and a number of injuries, while Roscommon will need big performances from Jerry Fallon, Cillian Egan, Micheál Kelly, and Ronan O’Meara.

Meath and Wicklow clash in round one for the second year in a row.

Meath ran out convincing winners in that clash 12 months ago and they also had a bit to spare when they travelled to Wicklow in the opening round of this year’s Allianz Hurling League Division 2B. Meath went on to reach the semi-finals last summer, but they ended up level on points this spring with Wicklow, who won the 2015 relegation play-off against Mayo to maintain their Christy Ring Cup status.

Steven Clynch, James Toher, Joe Keena, and Jack Regan should be prominent for Meath, with Wicklow’s chances largely dependent on the likes of Mikey Lee, Christy Moorehouse, Eddie Kearns, and Diarmuid Masterson.

NICKY RACKARD CUP

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Round one of the Nicky Rackard Cup features two Ulster derbies.

One of those is the clash of 2015 runners-up Armagh and 2013 champions Donegal.

Armagh were pipped at the finishing post by Roscommon in last year’s final, but they have continued their upward graph by winning the Allianz Hurling League Division 2B. Donegal, who lost to Armagh in the 2015 semi-finals, had a miserable spring, getting relegated to Division 3A after seven consecutive defeats.

Ryan Gaffney (who top-scored in Division 2B with 0-52) is the focal point of the attack for Armagh, who will also need Conor Corvan, Declan Coulter, and Cathal Carvill on form. Lee Henderson, Danny Cullen, Seán McVeigh, and Ciarán Mathewson should backbone Donegal’s challenge.

There is also a local derby between Fermanagh and **Monaghan in **Enniskillen.

Fermanagh are in the Nicky Rackard Cup for the first time since 2007, having won the Lory Meagher title last year. They topped the Allianz Hurling League Division 3B last month and won the final against Longford, only to miss out on promotion after a play-off with Tyrone that went to extra-time. Monaghan recovered from losing their first two games to reach the Division 3A Final for the second year in a row, but they were no match for Roscommon on that occasion.

Stephen Lambe, Mark and Peter Treanor, and Niall Garland are central players for Monaghan, with Fermanagh’s chances largely resting with the likes of Seán Corrigan, JP McGarry, Ryan Bogue, and Danny Teague.

Mayo travel to Carrickmore for their first Nicky Rackard Cup game against Tyrone.

After being relegated from the Christy Ring Cup via a play-off defeat against neighbours Roscommon, Mayo looked to be on their way to the Allianz Hurling League Division 2B Final when they won their first three games, but they ended up third after losing their last two. In the wake of a turbulent start to the year that concluded with the high-profile appointment of Kevin Ryan as manager, Tyrone saw a chance of qualification for the Division 3A Final slip away and end up in involvement in a relegation play-off, where they needed extra-time to see off Fermanagh. The Red Hand County won the Rackard Cup in 2014, but relinquished the title to eventual winners Roscommon at the semi-final stage last year.

Mayo, who were Christy Ring semi-finalists as recently as 2014, will rely on dual star Keith Higgins, Kenny Feeney, Eoghan Collins and new recruits Ger and Joe McManus. Tyrone are very reliant for scores on Damian Casey, who was the top marksman in the Allianz League with 2-67, although Aidan Kelly, Gerard Gilmore, Seán Óg Grogan, and Matthew Mulgrew are also capable of contributing.

The Naomh Barróg grounds in Kilbarrack is the venue for the meeting of Fingal and Longford.

Fingal reached the final in 2014 and were again knocked out by Tyrone after extra-time in the quarter-finals last year, before being unable to build on two early wins in the 2016 Allianz Hurling League Division 3A. 2014 Lory Meagher winners Longford, who needed to win a play-off against Louth to retain their Nicky Rackard Cup status last year, reached the Division 3B Final, only to lose to Fermanagh.

John Matthew Sheridan, Kieran O’Sullivan and Cillian and Kevin O’Flynn should spearhead Fingal’s challenge, while Longford will look to John O’Brien, Cathal Mullane, and Paddy Farrington to lead the way.

LORY MEAGHER CUP

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There are two games in the Lory Meagher Cup, including Warwickshire’s trip to Ballinamore to play Leitrim.

These teams will be looking to put disappointing Allianz Hurling League campaigns behind them after Warwickshire were relegated from Division 3A and Leitrim managed just one win in Division 3B. They both won two games in last year’s group stage to finish in joint-third place, with their meeting at Páirc na hÉireann resulting in a three-point win for Leitrim.

Pádraig O’Donnell, Clement Cunnifffe, and Zac Moradi should be prominent for Leitrim, while the availability of the likes of Shane Morrissey, Pauric Crehan, Conor Robbins, and James Meagher key to Warwickshire’s chances.

Louth enter the Lory Meagher Cup for the first time with a home game against Sligo.

Louth were relegated from the Nicky Rackard Cup last year after losing a relegation play-off against Longford after extra-time, but they go into this weekend on the back of an encouraging league campaign that saw them only miss out on the Division 3A Final on head-to-head records with Monaghan.

Sligo, who lost to Fermanagh in last year’s Lory Meagher Final, won their opening game in the 2016 League Division 3B against their Ulster rivals, only to fail to build on that and miss out on promotion.

Liam Dwan, Diarmuid Murphy, Shane Callan, and Gerard Smyth are key players for Louth, while Seán Kenny, Keith Raymond, Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch, and Ciarán Brenan should be to the fore for Sligo.

FIXTURES

Saturday, April 23

Christy Ring Cup Round 1

Antrim v Kildare, Parnell Park, 1pm

Down v London, Ballycran, 2pm

Meath v Wicklow, Trim, 3.30pm,

Roscommon v Derry, Athleague, 3.30pm

Nicky Rackard Cup Round 1

Armagh v Donegal, Athletic Grounds, 3.30pm

Fermanagh v Monaghan, Brewster Park, 3.30pm

Fingal v Longford, Naomh Barróg, 3.30pm

Tyrone v Mayo, Carrickmore, 3.30pm

Lory Meagher Cup Round 1

Leitrim v Warwickshire, Ballinamore, 2pm

Louth v Sligo, Darver, 2.30pm